Tuesday Night Classics

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preciousroy

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2018
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I just got to see The Shining in a movie theatre on the big screen. One of the theater chains where I live plays old classics every Tuesday. I got to see The Princess Bride and Batman (the original with Michael Keaton), too. Unfortunately, I missed The Yellow Submarine but I got to see that at a film festival when I was 8, at least.

I caught something about the movie that I had missed up until now. The madness doesn't really start to descend on the family until Wendy and Danny reach the clearing at the end of the maze path. I only had a moment to study the screen but it looked as if you could draw a line down the middle of the maze and each side would be a reflection of the other. To me this symbolized a sort of gateway between the living world and the ghost world that the Overlook seemed to dually inhabit. This is also the moment where you see Jack towering over the small scale reproduction of the maze with a menacing glare as he looks down on it.

Later, Danny slips into the "other side" in the scene where he's on the floor playing with his trucks. After the ball rolls up to him the pattern on the carpet underneath him has changed orientation. The pattern has now become reversed. Room 237 is now unlocked on this side.

When Danny finally escapes Jack's pursuit at the climax of the film, he leads him back to the clearing in the maze. Danny returns to the gateway and comes back out the other side to safety.

I'm not saying I'm right but this helped me to visualize what was happening, at least some of it.

I know people point to the Calumet can as evidence that the movies story is referencing genocide but there were also tubs of Kool-Aid and Tang and Nabisco products. But I do understand Kubrick carefully designed every detail in his films. This led me to wonder why he included the cars on the road early on as the Torrance family traveles through the tunnel. Before they travel through the tunnel there's a car on the right side of the road. When they emerge on the other side of the tunnel there's a car on the other side of the road with its doors open, facing against traffic.
 

Blake

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Feb 18, 2013
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I first saw The Shining in 1980, when the French school teacher at our school took 'Film appreciation' as part of the last two week school activities. I know the movie differs a great deal from the book but I still like the movie and there are plenty of examples of directors taking 'artistic license' after they had the film rights.
I always like the bit where Jack is being interviewed by Ullman near the start, and if you notice the pens in the holder on Ullman's desk, they are at different angles when you go from a shot of Ullman to Jack. I think Jack Nicholson's portrayal is slightly 'over the top' and he comes across as a bit 'unhinged' from the start, but tha'ts makes it good because you don't know if it's in his mind or his being controlled until the end. 7/10
 

preciousroy

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2018
175
661
A lot of the audience was actually giggling at Jack's facial responses and the terrible things he said to Wendy. I've seen the movie a handful of times at home but I think being at the theater made me pay attention more than before. I didn't get the sense that he was already off the deep end during this viewing. What stood out to me was that nothing even passively pleasant that he said in banter with Wendy seemed genuine. He seemed like a man who had come to hate his family and was barely hanging on to his anger. Even the things he said while being interviewed seemed forced and disingenuine. I really believed that he was a man at the end of his rope.

I also feel the movie may have ruined me for the book. Killer firehoses and rooted, yet mobile topiary didn't offer me much in the way of frights. I think Jack was a better character in the book. He did some despicable things but he was still strong enough to find his love for his family, even if only for a moment. Movie Jack was just angry.
 

Wayoftheredpanda

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May 15, 2018
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I also feel the movie may have ruined me for the book. Killer firehoses and rooted, yet mobile topiary didn't offer me much in the way of frights.
Don’t you dare slander my boys the topiary animals, they’re my favorite spirits in The Overlook. The Lion is my phone wallpaper. I’ll agree the firehose was weird, but it was very intricately described to add to the creepiness, I heard he got the idea for the book when he had a dream of either Owen or Joe being chased by a firehose while staying in room 217 of The Stanley Hotel.
 
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preciousroy

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2018
175
661
Don’t you dare slander my boys the topiary animals, they’re my favorite spirits in The Overlook. The Lion is my phone wallpaper. I’ll agree the firehose was weird, but it was very intricately described to add to the creepiness, I heard he got the idea for the book when he had a dream of either Owen or Joe being chased by a firehose while staying in room 217 of The Stanley Hotel.

Can you post the wallpaper here? I have had a hard time actually visualizing the bush animals lol. I heard that about the firehose, too. The firehose seems like a really b-movie element. I could see it right alongside the vending machine from the Maximum Overdrive movie lol.

Next week is the original A Nightmare On Elm Street.
 
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Wayoftheredpanda

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May 15, 2018
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Can you post the wallpaper here? I have had a hard time actually visualizing the bush animals lol. I heard that about the firehose, too. The firehose seems like a really b-movie element. I could see it right alongside the vending machine from the Maximum Overdrive movie lol.

Next week is the original A Nightmare On Elm Street.
Sure thing, here ya go
It’s Dick’s battle with the lion blocking him from the hotel near the end. I think the image is from the Cemetary Dance edition but I’m not sure as I just found it by searching Google
F992A409-DD35-4CAD-97A4-F4336897D203.jpeg
 

preciousroy

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2018
175
661
That's much more terrifying than I was imagining when I read the book. In my mind I couldn't help but see disney-like bushes prancing around. I really couldn't see them being physically dangerous. Someone else I spoke to said they were the most frightening part of the book for them. Sometimes my mind is really dull.
 

Wayoftheredpanda

Flaming Wonder Telepath
May 15, 2018
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That's much more terrifying than I was imagining when I read the book. In my mind I couldn't help but see disney-like bushes prancing around. I really couldn't see them being physically dangerous. Someone else I spoke to said they were the most frightening part of the book for them. Sometimes my mind is really dull.
They really weren’t described as actually moving until Dick has the battle with the one lion, all the other times they’re seen they move whenever their target’s back is turned to them and remain still whenever being observed, sort of like The Weeping Angels from doctor who. Dick fighting with the lion is one of my favorite Stephen King scenes
 

kingricefan

All-being, keeper of Space, Time & Dimension.
Jul 11, 2006
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Spokane, WA
A lot of the audience was actually giggling at Jack's facial responses and the terrible things he said to Wendy. I've seen the movie a handful of times at home but I think being at the theater made me pay attention more than before. I didn't get the sense that he was already off the deep end during this viewing. What stood out to me was that nothing even passively pleasant that he said in banter with Wendy seemed genuine. He seemed like a man who had come to hate his family and was barely hanging on to his anger. Even the things he said while being interviewed seemed forced and disingenuine. I really believed that he was a man at the end of his rope.

I also feel the movie may have ruined me for the book. Killer firehoses and rooted, yet mobile topiary didn't offer me much in the way of frights. I think Jack was a better character in the book. He did some despicable things but he was still strong enough to find his love for his family, even if only for a moment. Movie Jack was just angry.
First off- I love the book and I love the film. They are two different entities as the film really doesn't follow the book closely. You state that you don't think Jack was already off the deep end in the beginning. I think he already was. If you watch the movie again, pay close attention to the interactions of Jack with his family when they are driving up the mountain to get to the Overlook. To me he is seething with anger and acts like he can't stand either his wife or his child. The 'banter' inside the vehicle is rather stilted to me. There are pauses from Jack before he answers Danny's questions, etc. Watch how Jack's hands grip the steering wheel and how he uses the rear view mirror to watch Danny in the back seat. Watch how he clenches his jaw and keeps shifting in his seat, like he's very uncomfortable with being in the presence of his family. I think that the Overlook spirits use this anger as a way to possess Jack and get him to do what they want him to do. It's just my interpretation, you don't have to agree with me.
 

Tery

Say hello to my fishy buddy
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Apr 12, 2006
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Bremerton, Washington, United States
First off- I love the book and I love the film. They are two different entities as the film really doesn't follow the book closely. You state that you don't think Jack was already off the deep end in the beginning. I think he already was. If you watch the movie again, pay close attention to the interactions of Jack with his family when they are driving up the mountain to get to the Overlook. To me he is seething with anger and acts like he can't stand either his wife or his child. The 'banter' inside the vehicle is rather stilted to me. There are pauses from Jack before he answers Danny's questions, etc. Watch how Jack's hands grip the steering wheel and how he uses the rear view mirror to watch Danny in the back seat. Watch how he clenches his jaw and keeps shifting in his seat, like he's very uncomfortable with being in the presence of his family. I think that the Overlook spirits use this anger as a way to possess Jack and get him to do what they want him to do. It's just my interpretation, you don't have to agree with me.
But I do. That's why I prefer Steven Weber's interpretation. He really does slowly lose it.
 

preciousroy

Well-Known Member
Apr 4, 2018
175
661
It's just my interpretation, you don't have to agree with me.

I definitely agree. I think we just might have different conditions for "off the deep end". The main reason I've heard Mr. King didn't like the film was that he felt like Jack started off crazy and there was no real progression to it. Jack definitely struggles more in the book to be good and care about his family while in the movie he never once seems to try. The movie doesn't do a great job at getting it across that the Overlook is trying to keep Danny and working through Jack to do so. But on my most recent viewing it seemed to me like Jack was only angry and once he had been at the Overlook for that first month he started to recede into craziness. I missed all the body language in the car but I did pick up on the stilted communication. The scene where Wendy and Danny walk from the left side of the clearing to the right and back again is the first scene where Jack seems to have gone beyond angry. By itself the movie character was great but the book character had so much more definition.
 

Wayoftheredpanda

Flaming Wonder Telepath
May 15, 2018
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I definitely agree. I think we just might have different conditions for "off the deep end". The main reason I've heard Mr. King didn't like the film was that he felt like Jack started off crazy and there was no real progression to it. Jack definitely struggles more in the book to be good and care about his family while in the movie he never once seems to try. The movie doesn't do a great job at getting it across that the Overlook is trying to keep Danny and working through Jack to do so. But on my most recent viewing it seemed to me like Jack was only angry and once he had been at the Overlook for that first month he started to recede into craziness. I missed all the body language in the car but I did pick up on the stilted communication. The scene where Wendy and Danny walk from the left side of the clearing to the right and back again is the first scene where Jack seems to have gone beyond angry. By itself the movie character was great but the book character had so much more definition.
I find the biggest problem with Kubricks interpretation, as much as I like it,
is that Dick dies. Cause In the book, Dick ends up being the one who practically saves the day allowing the novel to end up on a somewhat happy note, he was a hero who knowingly risked his life to great extremes to help people in need. In the movie, as soon as he gets to The Overlook he just walks around like an idiot loudly asking if anyone is there when he should know damn well there’s an axe-wielding spooky hotel-possessed person raving around the hotel, allowing Jack to hear him and straight up axe him in the chest! Dick was my favorite character in the book but he just dies in the most pathetic and foolish way in the movie.
 

Tery

Say hello to my fishy buddy
Moderator
Apr 12, 2006
15,304
44,712
Bremerton, Washington, United States
I find the biggest problem with Kubricks interpretation, as much as I like it,
is that Dick dies. Cause In the book, Dick ends up being the one who practically saves the day allowing the novel to end up on a somewhat happy note, he was a hero who knowingly risked his life to great extremes to help people in need. In the movie, as soon as he gets to The Overlook he just walks around like an idiot loudly asking if anyone is there when he should know damn well there’s an axe-wielding spooky hotel-possessed person raving around the hotel, allowing Jack to hear him and straight up axe him in the chest! Dick was my favorite character in the book but he just dies in the most pathetic and foolish way in the movie.
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